LYDIA CORNELL: Author, actress, comedienne, talk show host, inspirational pubic speaker, best known as the star of ABC's "Too Close for Comfort" as TV legend Ted Knight's daughter; HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, and over 250 shows, episodes and movies worldwide. An international celebrity and one of TV's most popular, shyest sex symbols... "Political" no longer means what it did when we started this blog. It's about transformation and life-saving issues for women: equal pay for equal work...

The most touching gift: I was blown away by the gift I received from JOHN CONLEY of Oklahoma, who sent me his PURPLE HEART in its original case. Conley is a disabled Marine combat vet who received 2 Purple Hearts for wounds suffered in Viet Nam. He is one of the true HEROES of America, and he was a great support during a very trying time. After getting death threats from so-called "Christian" Ann Coulter fans, his letters of encouragement helped me immeasurably. He wrote: Dear Lydia, "This is for the slings and arrows you took for today's soldiers and Marines and I'm proud to call you my friend. There is no Purple Heart awarded for the wounds you suffered at the hands of mindless critics who wouldn't know a true patriot if one fell on him. There are so many troops who not only agree with you, but veterans who are also grateful. A great example of someone who "supports the troops" in ways that go beyond simply slapping a magnetic yellow ribbon to a car. Our country needs more people like yourself to stay active and if I can do one little thing to inspire you to this end, then it makes me happy. God bless, my dear, John"

This last line make me think how vital it is that we speak out against lies and corruption in our government. I hardly recognize America anymore. IT IS VITAL TO keep in mind that if, instead of siding with Hitler, the Christians of Germany - who represented some 96% of the population - had joined with the Jews, handicaps, homosexuals and the "Liberals", there would have been no war and no holocaust! But Hitler responded: "I have the churches in my back pocket." He then proceeded to arrange for the Nazi government to pay for the support of the clergy, their churches and their schools, so long as they didn't get in his way. That is just one of the many reasons why so few of the Christian clergy dared to speak out against Hitler, no matter how heinous his policies became! (From www.LiberalslikeChrist.org)

As the Native Americans reminded us: No tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves.

My father-in-law from Wisconsin

Went to the REAGAN LIBRARY on Mother's Day. My father-in-law was in town and really wanted to see it. I must say, it's pretty magnificent. Strolled through Air Force One, which sits inside a stunningly beautiful glass pavilion. Kids learned all about the Cold War. At least Ronald Reagan was a communicator, and was a statesman; he believed in talking face-to-face with world leaders to befriend them. I came away from there with a new found respect for this great Republican, air-traffic controllers' strike excluded. BUSH shouldn't even be in the same White House as Reagan; they are light-years apart. I can't believe they even allowed his portrait to hang with the other presidents.

The above photos are: my mother on Mother's Day with the flowers we sent her; Charles, my father-in-law; me in front of a piece of the Berlin Wall (the flower side is the West side of course;) portrait of Regan; and the presidential chopper.

Sorry about the problems with Blogger the past week. It's finally back up and I'll post more soon. Will be in Detroit this weekend for Motor City Comic Convention, and at the Riviera Vegas June 5-11 doing standup with Destiny. Steve Schiruppa from the Sopranos owns the Comedy Club at the Riviera.

ABC News: Federal official says US tracking calls made by ABC News, New York Times, Washington Post

A senior federal law enforcement official tells ABC News the government is tracking the phone numbers we call in an effort to root out confidential sources.

"It's time for you to get some new cell phones, quick," the source told us in an in-person conversation.

We do not know how the government determined who we are calling, or whether our phone records were provided to the government as part of the recently-disclosed NSA collection of domestic phone calls.

Other sources have told us that phone calls and contacts by reporters for ABC News, along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, are being examined as part of a widespread CIA leak investigation.

One former official was asked to sign a document stating he was not a confidential source for New York Times reporter James Risen.

Our reports on the CIA's secret prisons in Romania and Poland were known to have upset CIA officials.

People questioned by the FBI about leaks of intelligence information say the CIA was also disturbed by ABC News reports that revealed the use of CIA predator missiles inside Pakistan.

Under Bush Administration guidelines, it is not considered illegal for the government to keep track of numbers dialed by phone customers.

The official who warned ABC News said there was no indication our phones were being tapped so the content of the conversation could be recorded.

A pattern of phone calls from a reporter, however, could provide valuable clues for leak investigators.